Grayson Currin ·
19 Feb 2010, 5:55 PM ·
2 Comments
Good news for Schooner a few hours ahead of their release party behind the Duck Kee Sessions: Despite only mailing the minimum of 150 promo copies of the EP to radio stations nationwide, the disc has broken the CMJ Top 200. Landing at No. 99, just behind Merge’s Shout Out Louds and 10 spots ahead of the new Xiu Xiu record, this is the EP’s first week on the charts. The big show starts tonight at The Pinhook at 10 p.m. For more, see our review of Duck Kee Sessions this week.
New Music, News flashes, You Should Do This CMJ Top 200, Schooner
Bryan Reed ·
25 Jun 2009, 12:19 PM ·
5 Comments
Red star.
In defense of Twitter: There are some pretty sweet tweets floating around, including one yesterday from @hnmtf. “We just released a new track from the looking for bruce recording session Do the Human - FREE!,” it read, offering a link to a bit of Web 2.0 marketing shared between Windows and ReverbNation—wherein one could, as promised, download “Do The Human.”
For local fans, “Do The Human” isn’t entirely new: It was (but isn’t any more) offered as a digital bonus for folks who ordered Hammer’s J. Robbins-produced Looking For Bruce directly from Churchkey Records, and I swear, I heard a demo of this song floating around more than a year ago. Hammer’s Duncan Webster backs me up. “‘Do The Human’ was actually the third song we ever wrote. I think we wrote it in January of 2007. It was on our demo CD.” Continue reading »
New Music Bull City, Churchkey Records, Future Kings of Nowhere, Hammer No More the Fingers, Microsoft, ReverbNation, Schooner, Sponsored Songs, Windows
Andrew Ritchey ·
11 Feb 2009, 7:55 AM ·
Comment
Double Barrel Benefit Night One: Bowerbirds, Lost in the Trees
The Pour House, Raleigh
Friday, Feb. 6, 2009
A couple songs into his band’s headlining set at The Pour House Friday, Bowerbirds’ Phil Moore said, “This is what we call a party.” A few cheers followed. “Just continue to party,” he said. “Maybe in a more subdued way,” Moore’s bandmate, Beth Tacular, pleaded from across the stage.
The vibe was happy for the first night of WKNC’s sixth-annual Double Barrel Benefit, but people seemed more interested in hanging out than hearing Bowerbirds. Constant conversation filled the air, delicate vocal harmonies and guitar picking struggling versus the storm. It made for quite the contrast with the set the band played through an actual rainstorm in Duke Gardens this past summer. Continue reading »
Live Actions: Reviews Bowerbirds, Lonnie Walker, Lost in the Trees, Megafaun, Schooner, The Rosebuds, WKNC
Chris Toenes ·
4 Feb 2009, 3:24 PM ·
1 Comment
Schooner and The Kingsbury Manx
Pinhook, Durham
Jan. 30, 2009
Downtown Durham welcomes The Pinhook with open arms, and for good reason. Sure, the club provides a new watering hole for the Bull City, but it also aspires to become a legitimate music venue hosting performances on the regular. The spot’s run by a cadre of folks who actively participate in the scene they want to support. And, by setting up a stage flanked by speakers and a proper DJ booth, they’ve set themselves up for eventual success.
Though Friday’s double-bill of The Kingsbury Manx and Schooner wasn’t Pinhook’s first rock show, it was another test of the bar’s abilities to host bands, especially those who appear with their own built-in, local fans. Both The Kingsbury Manx and Schooner were unveiling new material, too, performing a little self-evaluation of their own.
It was chilly outside, so The Pinhook’s non-smoking status had people scurrying out for brief draws on cigarettes on the sidewalk. Inside, audience members crammed into the space in front of the stage or out front with the furniture. Through the back window, just over the stage, those in the first few rows could see the illuminated Lucky Strike smokestack and the new flickering “Old Bull” sign. Durham, all right.
The Kingsbury Manx played songs from its forthcoming fifth album, Ascenseur Ouvert!, starting off with a mix of acoustic guitars and organ. (To hear one of these songs, “Crest,” see the music player to your right.) Though a great fit for their music—all hushed lyrics, with the pace of a rocking-chair daydream—the set-up didn’t allow the intricacies of each song—or for that matter, the lyrics of new ones—to shine through. The Pinhook’s P.A. seemed to be working as hard as it was physically able without overloading, but the incessant hum of conversation—from the front row on back—made it hard for the band to get its subtle points across. Still, The Manx appeared unfazed, its members even grinning at one other. And they sounded as together as ever, harmonies sticking together like old friends. When the band switched instruments and went electric for the final songs, the music finally rose above the talking din. People sang along to their favorites.
When Schooner came on, Reid Johnson cordially said hello and announced his band would also play a lot of new tunes. Minus a busted guitar pedal, which caused a bit of feedback during one early number, Schooner sounded confident with each song, old or new. The fresh tunes moved with more dynamics than Schooner’s old material, and Johnson and sister Katherine held vocal duties well throughout a strong set. Reid even kicked the floor proudly on a few rockers, nailing home their points. It’s exciting to watch a band offer fresh stuff that tests previous limits. No acoustic guitars in sight, the band beat any outside noise far offstage.
While The Pinhook may be growing gradually into a live music venue, shows like this are an exciting happening in downtown Durham. (Ed.’s note: DPAC gigs not included, though it is a pretty room. Let’s hope Aaron Lewis understands.) Let’s hope this is only the beginning.
Live Actions: Reviews Schooner, The Kingsbury Manx, The Pinhook
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